Director for Strategic Planning & Governance, Bongani Matomela, confirmed the passing of the former Mayor for Ingquza Hill Local Municipality, Councillor William Ngozi, who passed away on Sunday, September 24, after a short illness.
He said that OR Tambo District Municipality (ORTDM) is deeply saddened by his passing.
Ngozi was the Member of the Mayoral Committee for Technical Services in this Municipality.
He served in various portfolios in the local government sphere for 29 years, including being Mayor of the Lusikisiki-based Ingquza Local Municipality from 2006 to 2011.
Matomela confirmed that the date of the memorial and funeral service will be communicated in due course.
“He was sworn in as a district councillor after the 2021 Local Government Elections; he was then appointed as a member of the Mayoral Committee (MAYCO) responsible for the Technical Services Department,” he said.
He added that prior to joining the district he served in the Ngquza Hill Local Municipality as the Speaker and Mayor of the Local Municipality.
“The leadership and the entire community of the district will sorely miss his contribution to the upliftment of the lives of the people. May his soul rest in peace.”
He added that the Speaker for OR Tambo District Municipality, Councillor Ntandokazi Capa, expressed her heartfelt condolences to the Ngozi family and the ORTDM population in general.
She described Ngozi as a very dedicated leader, a humble servant who stood by the side of the rural masses, no matter the circumstances.
Ngozi also served as the councillor of the district since 2011, where he led various portfolios that include MMC Inter-governmental Relations from 2011 to 2013, MMC for Local Economic Development from 2013 to 2015, MMC for Infrastructure Services from 2015 to 2016, MMC for Water and Sanitation from 2016 to 2019, Council Chief Whip from 2019 to 2020, MMC for Water and Sanitation from 2020 to 2021 and as MMC Technical Services from 2021 to 2023.
The provincial head of Communications, Gift Ngqondi, said that like many fearless youths of his time, Ngozi responded to the clarion call of ANC president Oliver Tambo to render apartheid unworkable and make the country ungovernable.
“He immersed himself fully in youth mobilisation, to ensure that the youth become the shock troopers of the revolution and when political organisations were unbanned, he joined the ANC Youth League and the African National Congress,” said Ngqondi.
He said that he served as deputy secretary of the old ANC Lusikisiki Region, and was later elected as chairperson of the ANC Ingquza Hill Sub- Region.
Ngqondi said that Ngozi served all the different PECs loyally and diligently.
“He was elected to serve in the ANC PEC at the 7th Provincial Conference in 2013, was re-elected at the 8th Provincial Conference in 2017 and at the 9th Provincial Conference in May 2022.
He said he was passionate about the issues affecting the poor and the most vulnerable section of the population.
According to him, he was a committed activist and cadre, who served the local government sphere in various roles before his appointment as MMC of Technical Services at the OR Tambo District Municipality, a position he held until his passing.
During his tenure, he played an important role to ensure that his department was able to deliver on its mandate.
“Ngozi will always be remembered for his tireless devotion and dedication to serving communities in the OR Tambo District, even in the face of the life-threatening and unforgiving Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
We send our deepest condolences to the family, relatives, comrades and friends of Ngozi who had distinguished himself as one of the finest to have come from the ranks of the African National Congress.”
